Please sign the petition
 

On-line petition for the last solider from WW1 to receive a State Funeral when the time comes.


Petition to: Honour the sacrifice of all who fought and died in the First World War,and all Wars by giving the last survivor a State Burial.

Re: Please sign the petition
 

i have done mine, i have a great great grandad whose name is on the oak hill monument, who died in 1917, if we can give state funerals to women who just marry a royal, then why not to recognise the passing of the last of a genaration

Re: Please sign the petition
 

Thanks Church FC rules for the comments

Can a mod please make this a sticky for a short time

Re: Please sign the petition
 

Re: Please sign the petition
 

It's a very noble gesture. There are three surviving WWI veterans, are we sure that all three men and families would want this? If so, it's a great and fitting tribute to all those who served.

Surviving veterans of World War I - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Re: Please sign the petition
 

Done and dusted Ber think its a fitting tribute to all the guys in WW1.;)

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Willow I'm lead to believe that there is a gent of 105 who served in WW1 also rumours of one being 111 but have not yet been able to confirm any of these ages.

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didn't have time to look before while at working but have just looked and seen it Chers Rindy for that help.

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Maybe if someone in the Ministry of Defense had been up to speed there would have been a State Funeral for the last survivour of each sevice , last Sailor, last Soldier, last member of the "Flying Corps" and even the last Front Line Nurse.
You can be sure if the last Veteran was a "Hon.Lt Col" who had succeeded to seat in the House of Lords there would be a big "Do" , but lets face it , anything more than a poxy birthday card on reaching 100 yrs fom H.M. the Queen (probably written by a £5 an hour lackey) is the most a typical Brit can or should expect even with a Socialist ....opps sorry, Nu-Labour Govt.
:rolleyes:

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Petition signed.

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Just as a matter of insight into these cards from the queen--When I was a visiting officer for Social Security, had the job of visiting old folks in the 2 weeks before their 100th birthday to confirm they were still alive and to make sure that they were likely to be still alive on that birthday. solely for the purpose of the issue of the telegram/card. The report was returned to HQ but I never knew who was responsible for sending the telegram/card.

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So if they were looking a bit ropey and you thought they might not be here in a week or so would her Majesty then not bother sending them their card?:confused:

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LOL - no - but would need to check again with another visit nearer the date :)

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after you've signed it you need to check your emails, and confirm your signature otherwise it wont show up

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a wonderful idea

consider me signed up

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i noticed you already signed it, after i did

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Margaret, I work for DWP and we have a centenarian clerk who's responsible for making sure the individuals are visited and the messages are sent out on time. I think they are sent direct from whitehall. (Mind you I've just given you a hint where I work:D)

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Blimey, those civil servants must have it cushy.;)

Still beavering away at a hundred!:D

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Sounds like an easy number that clerk has - I only made 3 such visits in 35 years - (I suspect the clerk has other duties ;) )

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John Babcock, the last Canadian of WW1, was born in Sydenham village just north of Kingston. He is now an American citizen and lives in Spokane. He was offered a state funeral by the Federal Govt., but he refused.

The whole thing seems like a bit of a publicity stunt. If it honors all those who died and all who fought, in the same way the Unknown Soldier honors those whose graves are marked only with "Known Unto God" then it might be an OK idea.

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Job done. My family lost members during "The war to end all wars" and think it would be a fitting tribute IF the Family of the Last Surviving Serviceman felt it appropriate. I also feel more should be done to educate the youth of today about the ultimate sacrifice many have paid in both World Wars. My nine year old niece is being taught about " Asian culture and History" at primary school and she seems to know very little (if any) about the two world wars. Whilst I don't wish to appear racist, haven't the powers that be lost sight of the isuue here? Multi-culturism is fine, but let's not lose sight or forget the people who fought and died for our privelages.

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Re: Please sign the petition
 

This idea has surfaced before, it took some digging but I eventually located the thread:-

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...ral-19608.html

My opinion on the subject is posted below.



"...The passing of the last serving soldier of WW1 should merit a sober and respectful piece in the Times and that should be an end of it. His obsequies should be a private matter for his family and friends; not the occaision for a national circus of mawkish sentimentality.

The dead of WW1 are memorialised throughout the land, their sacrifice and their memory is honoured on Armistice Day and on Remembrance Sunday in the presence of the Monarch and the Royal Family and one of their number, representative of all, has already been accorded a State Funeral and now lies in a place of honour beneath the nave of Westminster Abbey. What purpose would another State Funeral serve, except the political self-agrandisement of a bunch of slimy weasles who would not recognise the concepts of honour, patriotism and self-sacrifice if their lives depended on it?"

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AB I would hope that the last WW1 does get a State Funeral and that it would then serve as a reminder for the brave troops that have been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.

What purpose would another State Funeral serve, except the political self-aggrandisement of a bunch of slimy weasels who would not recognise the concepts of honour, patriotism and self-sacrifice if their lives depended on it?"

Maybe the people you have stated in the above quote would then be thinking about what they can and should be doing for our troops out there.

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Ber999T,

You miss the point, we already have memorialisation enough, Another state funeral would not improve the situation of those courageous men and women in Iraq and Afaghanistan nor would it cause anything like the required sea-change in the thinking of our political masters. To believe otherwise is naive in the extreme. Another State funeral would have the same impact and would be treated by the media in the same way as the funeral of that dreadful Spencer woman and it would have precisely the opposite effect to the one intended.

The whole thing smacks of obsessively picking at a sore to keep it raw and painful, as if there were something enjoyable in it. You can almost imagine the strap line for the DVD; "WW1, a trauma that you and your family can treasure and enjoy for generations to come. Thrill again and again at the pointless loss of life. Be apalled anew at the brutality of it all. Cry yourself a river at a nation's poignant farewell. Featuring H.M. The Queen, The Massed Bands of the Household Division and a cast of millions."

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AB the thing is of a State Funeral is that a lot of the "young uns" of today don't have a concept of having lost a family member or close friend in combat and while the media would have a field day it may help remind others that even today our troops are being shot at and bombed daily in Iraq and Afganistan and that their Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, etc ARE worried about them while serving overseas.

While my stepson is over there I will be worried just need to get the cost of sending parcels out there sorted now!!!!

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Done it..........with pleasure.

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Petition signed and I feel honoured for having the opportunity to do so. I’m just waiting for the email.

Being the last soldier he becomes the symbol for every service person and civilian that was killed during WWI.

Just as an afterthought. That excellent series “The World At War” should be part of modern history in schools for the foreseeable future at least.